Entertaining Fancy
by Juri.DP
Summary: Crush. Nothing more. Even though he knew this would pass—would have to pass—and seeing how no one knew other than him, he'd entertain some ideas.
1. Age 12

**It's nothing special, but how about some one-sided KonoHina? It's nothing scandalous, I assure you.**

**Enjoy!**

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Konohamaru sat on one of the rooftops in the village, his face knotted in contemplative frustration. His thoughts were drawn to Naruto for the time being, and he couldn't stop himself from thinking of all the short-comings of his master of choice—most notably his observatory short-comings. Or maybe the young Sarutobi was a bit bitter because, despite his hindrances, Naruto had one hell of a bright future. Sure, there was the title of Hokage waiting for him, the respect and acknowledgement of the village, and a plethora of other things, but Konohamaru was bitter about something else entirely.

Someone else entirely.

He would like to think his rival was a bit modest and maybe even self-conscious when it came to the _only_ girl who liked him, but no. Naruto just didn't get it. Naruto didn't _see_ it. He had to be freaking _blind_ because it was so _obvious_...and it wasn't _fair_. Konohamaru understood he didn't need it to be fair because... It was...

He sighed, jumping to the ground.

It was a crush.

_Just_ a crush.

Well, three months ago it was just a crush. Now...well... _Now_...

"Ugh..." Konohamaru sighed, shaking his head. He walked down the streets of Konoha with his hands in his pockets and his mind preoccupied—again.

It was the middle of the afternoon, and he was forced to be on his own, seeing how his team had things to do—family things—and Naruto was nowhere to be seen. He must have been on a mission, because the village was never this dull when Naruto was around. Still, the fact of the matter was Konohamaru had nothing to do, so his mind thought it was a good idea to go back to _that_ issue: He had a crush.

_Just_ a crush.

That was normal, he knew that, but he's never really focused on girls. He never focused on _her_. In fact, he has never talked to her, so the fact that he was even calling this a crush may was a bit of a stretch, but...it was more than just a passing fancy.

Groaning, he rolled his eyes towards the sky.

He wasn't quite sure how it happened. He remembered when it might have started, but he was never sure _why_. It was on a day when he was going to meet Naruto at Ichiraku so they could train, but, when he got there, he saw Naruto talking to a girl. He recognized her—he pretty much had to because she was important—but he didn't know her name. Konohamaru waited a good distance away because (for once) he didn't want to barge into a conversation; it looked important. However, the girl seemed highly uncomfortable, and before he knew it, she quickly bowed and rushed off in the other direction. When he finally joined Naruto, he asked him who that girl was. He was told her name was Hinata.

Hinata Hyuuga.

He must have heard her name a thousand times some way or the other (or maybe he was thinking of her sister those other times), but it didn't stick with him until then. Heck, he didn't even know how long ago that was. He just knew she was the heiress to the Hyuuga clan and Hanabi's older sister (somehow).

She was...nice. She was also a bit awkward, but she was...very...

Konohamaru stared at the ground, cheeks tinting.

_Crush_.

Nothing more.

Even though he knew this would pass—would _have_ to pass—and seeing how no one knew other than him, he'd entertain some ideas.

For one thing, she wasn't that much older than him. He did the math over and over again, and she was only four years his senior. Once he was an adult, an age difference like that wouldn't mean a thing.

Second, he was the grandson of the Third Hokage and part of the Sarutobi clan; therefore, he would be a slightly better choice for her than most other guys in the village, if not all of them. He was becoming stronger every day, so if the question of whether or not he could protect her was an issue, he could squash that quicker than the inquiry could be vocalized. Though, if she was anything like her sister when she fought, he doubted she would need any serious help with protecting herself.

And then there was the last of many that, if he truly let his mind explore this option, made him think his feelings could go anywhere. Hinata was...very different from the other girls. She was a lot more reserved, kind, and understanding, so he would like to think she would be willing to give him a chance, if he proved himself worthy. Sure, he was younger, but she didn't give off the impression that something like age would bother her...

But he shouldn't entertain the thought because this would surely pass...eventually.

Frowning, he kicked up dirt as he walked. He doubted she even knew him. She must have known _of_ him, like his face or something, but she either knew him as Konohamaru Sarutobi, Hanabi's classmate, or mini Naruto. The last of the three was a title he heard a lot, which was far from being an insult in his book, but what identity did that give him for those who _didn't_ know him?

He had a lot of qualities of his own, but even he felt like he was a compilation of those before him—it was all done before and done _better_, at that. He could be smart, but the Nara did it better. He could be aloof, but the Uchiha did it better. He could be calm and cunning, but Hinata's cousin did it so much better. He was Konohamaru, though. He was his own person, and he was the best at being him, but he doubted anyone knew that.

He looked up, mood dampened, and found the very person his thoughts had been swarming around walking from the opposite direction. For a moment, his face lit up because this could be his chance to prove himself, but then he remembered one thing.

He didn't know how to talk to girls.

Sure, he could talk to the girls his age, but that was different. Hinata was practically a woman, and Naruto had never taught him how to talk to a woman. Not in a flattering sense, anyway.

Sweating nervously, looking around for some way to make talking to her casual, he ducked between two buildings of an adjoining road, and a brilliant idea sprung to the front of his mind.

All he had to do was run into her.

He peeked around the corner and saw she would be approaching from the other side of the road. He watched until she was closer before walking further back on the road he was currently on. He closed his eyes, calming his nerves, and, with a sigh, he smiled brightly before running at full speed.

Hinata didn't see him coming.

She walked with her eyes on her feet, thinking about something that was all too familiar (and a bit depressing by this point), when she heard the loud, "Uh-oh!"

Something collided into her, plowing her onto the ground. She was too shocked to scream or actually feel the pain, but a whimper made its way into the world nonetheless.

"Ugh..." Konohamaru grumbled. "That really hurt." He must have been too fueled on adrenaline. He looked to his right and found himself face-to-face with a dazed Hinata. His eyes widened, and he was suddenly aware his lower half was partially on top of her.

She blinked. "Are you okay?"

He jumped to his feet before his face could heat up. "Sorry about that!" he gushed. "I, uh, h-here." He extended his hand out to her.

It took her a moment to understand he was trying to help her up, and once she figured it out, she took his hand. He was a bit amazed that this was happening. He never got to talk to her before, yet here she was holding his hand. Sort of.

"Sorry about that." Konohamaru grinned, trying his hardest to have a good first impression. "I was in such a hurry that I got a little careless."

Hinata smiled, lightly dusting herself off. "That's okay. Ah... You're Konohamaru, right?"

"Ah- Y-Yeah! You've heard of me?"

"Of course. You're the Third Hokage's grandson. Also," she smiled meekly, "my sister Hanabi has told me about you."

His face fell, frowning a bit. "Anything good?"

Hinata smiled, shrugging vaguely.

This wasn't going how he wanted. Already, he wasn't seen as his own person. He was Konohamaru: The Third Hokage's grandson and the loud-mouthed brat from school (he's sure that's how Hanabi described him). "You know," he said, more determined than ever, "despite what your sister says, I'm really quite amazing."

She smiled warmly. "I'm sure you are; I've heard great things about you from others. I hear _you_ will be a desirable candidate for Hokage one day."

He smiled nonchalantly despite his ego boosting to extreme levels. "Yeah, well, you know. I promised Naruto he could go before me."

"Hm." Her smile became more endearing, her eyes seeing someone who wasn't there. "Yes, he will make it one day, too."

"Uh! But that's only so he won't get compared to _me_. It won't be long until I surpass him."

"You're right," she laughed. "I'm sure you'll outshine him some day. He's pretty blinding right now, so I'll wait for the day you shine so bright that even the blind can see the light."

"Yeah..." Konohamaru scratched the back of his head. "Th-thanks." His cheeks tinted again. He had no clue why—there was nothing particularly flattering about what she said because she sounded like she was entertaining the whims of a child, but...it gave him hope for...everything.

"Well," Hinata bowed a bit, "I'm sorry to have stalled you for so long."

"Oh, uh, no, it was all my bad."

She grinned pleasantly, walking on. "You're too modest."

The young Sarutobi stared straight ahead, his heart pounding. She was leaving...and there wouldn't be another reason to talk to her, unless he ran into her again; he couldn't do _that_ all the time, though. He swallowed, figuring he had to say something—anything! He spun around, shaking, watching her retreating figure. "Uh... Hi...Hi..." He shut his eyes, clenching his fists. "Hinata!"

Some people stopped for a few seconds, startled. Others wondered why Naruto was yelling, and a select few realized it was the Uzumaki's protégé.

Hinata, the most startled and confused out of them all, turned and noticed the tense, red-faced boy. "Yes?" she squeaked.

He opened his eyes, keeping his jitters under control. "Uh, w-were you looking for someone?"

"Oh, um, not really. I was just...hoping to see someone." She sighed softly. "Actually, all the members of my team are busy today, and with them gone, I guess I'm a little...lonely."

Lonely? The thought of Hinata being lonely was a foreign concept. Someone like _her_ should never have a chance to even consider loneliness in her life.

"Well," Konohamaru said, suddenly finding his gaze set on the ground, "my friends are busy today, too, s-so maybe... I mean, if you want to, we could, um..." His face reddened more, his shaking probably noticeable. "W-will you hang out with _me_?"

A silence fell, which only made it harder for Konohamaru to lift his head. He wasn't used to this sudden nervousness, and he began to worry that she may have left. Or...maybe he made her feel awkward. They never formally met, _and_ he called her by her name so casually only to say something stupid. This wasn't good. This was-

"Okay." Konohamaru looked up; Hinata was standing in front of him. "I'll spend time with you," she said.

"You... Really?"

"Sure." She smiled. "It'll be fun."

Konohamaru grinned, jumping into a better position. "Alright!"

Hinata laughed, and the two began to walk.

"Ah... Wait." Konohamaru turned to her, feeling a sense of obligation. "Just so you know, Naruto's gone on a mission or something, so...chances of him showing up..."

Hinata blushed, lacing and unlacing her fingers. "You know about that, too?" She bit the inside of her lip, looking to the side. "No matter, it's alright. You're not an extension of Naruto, so it can just be you and me."

"R...right... Right!" Konohamaru grinned to himself as they walked on, and he began to do some more thinking just for the heck of it.

When he turned eighteen, Hinata would be twenty-two or so. By that time, he'll be taller, mature looking, and better than any ninja that ever walked the Earth. That would be the best time to make his move, if any move was going to be made. Naruto could be Hokage for as long as he wanted, but Hinata would be Konohamaru's. He could imagine himself approaching the Hyuuga in six years. He would be at least six inches taller than her, and she would look at him like she was seeing him for the first time. That would be the last time she saw Naruto Uzumaki as the one for her and realize it should have been Konohamaru Sarutobi all along.

Well, that was just his mind drifting again.

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**Three Weeks Later**

"What? You're leaving us again?" Kiba whined. Team 8 was seated in Ichiraku when Hinata, yet again, got up to leave early.

She smiled. "I'm sorry. I promised to meet someone."

"You mean Naruto's midget?" Kiba groaned. "This is the third week in a row! What's he need to spend so much time with you for?"

"Probably for the same reason we like to spend time with her," Shino said. "She's pleasant."

"Yeah, but she's _our_ pleasant. Every team has one of their own, and, besides, that kid is, like, eight years old."

Hinata laughed. "He's twelve, actually. Why don't you guys join us?"

"I can't handle kids," Shino said.

"And I can only handle so much Naruto energy," Kiba dismissed. "We'll just come rescue you in a few hours."

"He's not so bad," Hinata said before departing from her team. "He's really not like Naruto at all."

o0o0o

"Get ready, boss!" Konohamaru warned, one shadow clone swirling chakra in his right hand for him.

Naruto grinned, a clone of his own doing the same. "You've still got a long way to go."

"Right, right. Don't get _too_ surprised after I beat you."

Both clones disappeared and the two ninjas sprinted towards each other, arms raised.

"Here it comes!" Naruto yelled, lunging at him.

"Take thi-! Oh, wait." Konohamaru slid under him, deflecting his own hand into the ground to check his watch. Naruto screeched, colliding into a tree. "Sorry, boss, I gotta go."

"Again?" Naruto groaned, upside down with his back against the trunk. "This is, like, the third week you've run off on me. Where the heck do you go?"

The younger boy shrugged, walking off. "Just to meet this girl."

"Ah." The blond grinned slyly. "You got a crush or somethin'?"

Konohamaru turned to him, smirking. "You can think of it like that."


	2. Age 13

**It's been a while, but I _did_ promise some of you I'd continue this. One chapter for each year Konohamaru gets older! Let's see if he can do it!**

**Enjoy!**

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He liked her.

He didn't like to think of it as just a crush anymore because it was almost a year since the feelings started. There was a brief period where he was convinced he was deluding himself into thinking he had a chance with her, but he was more comfortable accepting he wanted to take that chance than insisting he didn't. His feelings ran deeper than just liking the way she looked or being lured in by a kunoichi whose actions and appearance was different from the norm, and it was more than the added appeal of an older woman.

He liked the version of Hinata he actually got to know.

Her voice was soft and kind, but her words could be very direct and impactful. She couldn't always hold eye contact with people, but she did with him, and it felt like she wasn't focused on anyone else. She used her hands a lot when she spoke—like when she was trying to find the right words to explain something—and she had been shocked to discover she did this when he told her about it. More than anything, the young Sarutobi was enamored by how he felt like an equal when he was with her and not someone of a younger, lower status.

But there were also things he didn't like.

He didn't like how flustered she could become around others. With him, she never stuttered or flushed as bad as when she was with members of her graduating class. He didn't like how passive she could be or how easily she would give in for other people's sake. Anything that caused her to become withdrawn or trip over herself bothered him, but he had accepted those traits. Sometimes it elated his ego, because it meant she could be herself with him, but maybe that only confirmed how present the age gap between them was.

Even then, he recognized he wasn't blinded by his emotions, so this had to prove this was worth pursuing. Yes, Konohamaru was sure this was something more than a crush, and it only heightened the desire to get older so he could actually do something about it. And, really, he resigned himself to waiting because he was sure he had a lot more to learn about himself before he could feel comfortable with confessing to her.

Like what obstacles he was willing to overcome.

"Konohamaru!"

The Sarutobi froze, staring at a shuriken inches away from his nose. He exhaled, closing his eyes, and was just grateful this one didn't have him sporting new cuts. He parted his lids and took notice of the rolled paper going through the weapon. He retrieved it, seeing what it had to say:

_Stay away from her._

He sighed, pocketing the paper.

"Konohamaru!"

He looked over just as Moegi and Udon reached him, worry etched on their faces. He forced a smile for their sake. "Hey, guys."

"Are you okay?!" Moegi asked, yanking the shuriken from the building.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he said, shrugging and swaying with each inflection.

"Yeah right!" She waved the shuriken in his face. "You're reporting this, right? The Hokage said if this happened again, then she'll send the ANBU to investigate."

"Eh," he snatched the weapon away from her and pocketed it as well, "what do you want me to report? Someone saving me the trouble of shopping for weapons myself?" He laughed. "It's nothing, really."

"I dunno," Udon said, pausing to sniff. "You usually have cuts because of this. Don't you think someone's out to get you?"

"Pssh!" Konohamaru waved his hand dismissively. "It's probably another ninja doing this, right? If they're really out to get me, then they would have gotten me by now." He paused to check his watch. "I gotta go, so just know it's nothing to worry about, okay? And don't go tellin' Granny Hokage either!"

Konohamaru kept his cool as he walked away, but, really, that close call had him a little shaky on his feet. Stuff like that started happening three months ago, and it was always accompanied by a note telling him to 'stay away from her'. The only 'her' who would arouse this kind of assault could only be Hinata—meaning someone she knew didn't like him hanging around her.

He suspected it to be Kiba.

But he wasn't going to make a huge fuss over it anymore because these were all scare tactics, and he wasn't scared—just surprised. Besides, there was no use causing trouble for Hinata by this point.

Konohamaru walked towards the Academy, occasionally messing with his hair in case it was sticking up in places he didn't like. He traveled to the Hokage Monument and decided to take the stairs all the way to the top. As he walked, he looked over to his grandfather's face, squinting as he searched, and bit his lip, looking away. His stomach was already doing the weird bubbling he once mistook for nausea. When he was up as far as the stairs would go, he jumped onto the rocks and climbed on top of his grandfather's head. "Am I late?"

Hinata turned, sitting on the edge, and gave him a soft smile. "You never are."

He walked over to her and took a seat. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you something." He cleared his throat, looking away when her eyes met his. "How come...you want to meet up here these days? I never knew you liked the Hokage Monument so much."

Hinata pursed her lips, studying him. "Well... To be perfectly honest, I was too afraid to ask to come up here before I met you." She laughed briefly. "You never hear about anyone coming to sit up here just for the fun of it. It must be a Hokage privilege."

He peeked at her, smirking. "So you're just using me? I get it."

She laughed again, true humor in her tone, and looked down at the village. "It all looks so...clustered from up here. It doesn't feel that way once you're actually down there."

"Yeah." Konohamaru looked down as well. "Guess I never noticed it either."

A comforting silence embraced them. The longer the moment passed, the harder it was for Konohamaru to hold back a troubling smile. Being able to sit with Hinata like this was surreal sometimes. He should feel weird when his mind allowed him to alter these moments as glimpses of them being a couple, but it all felt very plausible. When they spent time together, it was always just the two of them, and being in each other's company was relaxing and perfect.

Perfect, he scoffed.

He couldn't let his mind wander too far.

o0o0o

The two continued to enjoy their time together for the next hour and a half. They talked about their teams and what missions they had been on, but overall they talked about nothing in particular. Konohamaru had to admit he liked the random topics they could come up with. Their time came to an end when Hinata had to return home for her family training. They said their goodbyes, and he watched as she got up to leave.

"Hinata," he said, a random thought bursting to the front of his mind, "you like hanging out with me, right?"

She looked at him. "Why do you ask?"

"I just think about what unlikely friends we are." He paused. "Okay, well, your teammates are pretty unlikely for you, too, but we're not on a team or anything. Most of our interests aren't even the same."

Her head tilted before she caught herself. She was surprised he had this worry. "This is all true, but I like you, Konohamaru. Our friendship feels...natural." She shrugged, smiling. "Or maybe that's just me. I'll see you later."

Konohamaru smiled back, watching her leave again. When she was gone, he looked back down to the village, staring blankly. Progressively, his ears became hot, his cheeks feeling the same, and he buried his face in his hands. "Calm down, you idiot," he groaned to himself. "You're focusing on the wrong thing."

_"I like you, Konohamaru."_

He pressed his hands harder to his face, smiling despite himself. "She doesn't like you like-" Konohamaru's head snapped up, and he launched himself skywards as a kunai whizzed through the air. He landed on the monument with a kunai of his own in hand only to be surprised to see the figure standing a few feet away from him.

Hanabi Hyuuga stood with her arms crossed, a stony glare on her face. "You dodged."

"Hanabi?" he said, his stance faltering. "Did you just...throw a kunai at me?"

She scowled, hurdling another weapon at him. He dodged again, only to be met with weapon after weapon flying his way. He continued to dodge and deflect, shouting questions at her she ignored, and he could hardly find a way of escape. Hanabi activated her Byakugan when she had nothing else to throw and charged at him with full force. He yelped, leaping to the nearest Hokage head, and desperately tried to avoid the chakra filled jabs the young Hyuuga was sending his way.

"Hey, hold on!" he yelled after she made a small crater in the Fourth Hokage's face. "What are you so mad about?!"

She ignored him still, each attack she made closing the gap between them. Her expression was fierce and enraged, her threatening gaze locked on him. He leapt onto the Fifth Hokage's head, barely escaping a Jyuuken to his back, and turned to face her.

"Just tell me what's wrong!"

Hanabi yelled, landing a solid, chakra-less blow to his chest. Konohamaru fell to the ground, wincing and coughing. Hanabi stood over him, her Byakugan still activated. "Guys like you are what's wrong."

He looked at her, struggling to sit up. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Stop hanging around my sister."

"Why-" He gasped, scrambling to his feet. "You're the one who's been threatening me?! What, are you crazy?! I thought I was in real danger for a while there!"

She huffed, balling her fists. "Listen to me, Konohamaru. My sister has enough problems, so she doesn't need you boys bothering her all the time. Go get your kicks somewhere else."

"My kicks? And what do you care, anyway? You don't even like Hinata!"

Hanabi scowled, ready to attack again, but she caught herself and took a step back. Sighing, she deactivated her Byakugan and looked at him calmly. "I forgot how ignorant you are. I can't believe I let myself get so worked up."

He gaped at her, fuming. "Now you're blaming _me_ for the way you act?! You mind telling me what this is really about?"

She rolled her eyes. "My sister's body is pleasing to you, so you're bothering her with these false attempts at friendship. It's gross and demeaning to my family name."

"You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Come now, Konohamaru. Hinata is too nice to tell you you're being a nuisance, and you're letting that filthy mind of yours take advantage of her kind personality."

Konohamaru shook, his emotions getting the best of him. "Hinata actually _likes_ hanging out with me! I don't know just what kinda guy you think I am, but I like your sister for more than what you give me credit for!"

Hanabi laughed, shaking her head. "So, what? You think you have a crush on her? Even if you do, you're just a kid, _and_ she's only interested in one guy."

Konohamaru flinched, his emotions taking a blow. He wanted to yell and get back on the topic of her attempts at his life, but now he wanted to forget her last comment. "I was having a pretty good day until you showed up, Hanabi." He turned away, ruffling his hair as he stormed to the edge of the Hokage Monument to sit down.

Hanabi stood for a moment, regarding him stoically. She really didn't like how Konohamaru had attached himself to her sister. Hinata would talk so fondly of him and suggested to Hanabi that she hang out with the two of them, but she always refused. For a while, Hanabi thought the two would grow apart, but it was almost a year now.

Hinata didn't even hang out with her as much as she was hanging out with him.

Hanabi scowled, leaving before she could build herself up all over again.

"Hey!"

She turned, glaring at a pink-cheeked Konohamaru who was now standing and facing her. For a moment, she was truly confused, because he seemed to be radiating embarrassment.

"I may not be Naruto, and I may be just a kid, but that's not gonna matter soon enough." He slapped his hand to his chest, his face exploding with color. "I like Hinata, alright?! And one day I'm gonna confess to her, so don't go thinkin' of me as some guy who can't tell the difference between liking someone because of how they look and liking someone because I actually care!" He pointed at her fiercely. "So threaten and attack me all you want, but you can't stop me from hanging out with her, got it?!"

The two stood as they were—Hanabi's eyebrows slightly raised and Konohamaru huffing and pointing. After a solid minute, Hanabi huffed, rolling her eyes, and walked away.

When she was gone, Konohamaru collapsed to his hands and knees, staring at the ground with wild eyes. "Why did I say that?" He groaned, pounding his fist on the ground. "I should _not_ have said that!"

* * *

_**Two Days Later**_

"Eh..." Konohamaru paused as he reached the top of the monument. "Hey..."

Hinata turned to look at him, smiling brightly. "Hello," she said.

"Konohamaru," Hanabi greeted, looking at him with bland eyes.

"Uh... Hi." He walked towards them, eying the intruder. "Hanabi's here."

"I've been trying to get her to join us for a while now," Hinata said. "I think you two would get along well, if you actually got to know each other."

"Uh... Heh. You think so?" He rubbed his neck awkwardly. "We don't really have anything in common."

"That's not true," Hanabi said, embracing her sister much to the other two's surprise. "We both _love_ spending time with Hinata, don't we?"

Hinata grinned, hugging her sister back and gushing about how she didn't know she still felt this way. Konohamaru grit his teeth, irritated. If this was how Hanabi wanted to play the game, then he'd play along.

Konohamaru sat next to Hinata, forcing a smile. "I never expected I'd be friends with both Hinata and Hanabi. Lucky me."

Hinata pulled away from her sister. "You still haven't told me what changed your mind."

Konohamaru laughed. "She must have been jealous."

Hanabi looked up, skillfully looking naive. "Konohamaru's going to confess something to you soon-"

The Sarutobi paled.

"-and I want to offer all my support."

"Really?" Hinata looked at Konohamaru, who instantly tensed. "What are you confessing?"

"Uh... Well, ya know... It's kind of a...a surprise, s-so-"

"So I suppose we'll have to be very patient," Hanabi finished. She looked at Konohamaru, her eyes glinting. "Don't keep us waiting too long, Konohamaru."

He clenched his fists, keeping his breathing under control. It took him a great deal of effort not to yell. "Yeah."

He would have to pick his battles with this foe.


	3. Age 14

**Being stubborn about not sleeping is the only way I'll get any writing done.**

**Enjoy!**

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Sulking.

"It's not like she's doing this because she wants to."

Annoyed.

"She said it's just a formality, right? It's nothing."

Frustrated.

"Things will be back to normal by tomorrow."

"Feh!" Konohamaru turned away and glared at the wall.

Moegi, Udon, and Hanabi sighed, varying levels of emotion directed at the matter at hand. It was late afternoon, and they were in Moegi's living room. Konohamaru was laying on his side on the floor, glaring at the wall trimmings with an irritated scowl. Udon was on the floor next to him, leaning against the sofa, alternating between reading a comic and assessing Konohamaru's demeanor. Moegi was on the sofa, conflicted with Konohamaru's dilemma, and Hanabi was seated next to her, arms crossed and eyelids lowered critically.

Hanabi and Konohamaru had come to something akin to a truce late last year because they realized they could not sabotage each other without getting Hinata involved. She was all too skilled at detecting the budding animosity between them, and she tried her best to put them in situations she hoped would help them get along.

She was partially right.

The two may have realized they both had more common ground than they would like to admit, but they still vied for Hinata's attention, and neither would fully yield to the other. So, they were at a standstill while denying a friendship was on the horizon.

Gradually, Hanabi had integrated herself into Konohamaru's team, and they put up little resistance to her arrival. The young Hyuuga rarely mingled with her own team, claiming it was too late to form any real interest beyond professional encounters. Moegi, especially, appreciated the Hyuuga's warm-tempered nature, and the two had grown on each other rather quickly. If Udon had a strong opinion of her one way or the other, he kept it to himself.

By this point, Konohamaru's teammates knew about his crush because it helped to explain the new friendship that had seemingly come out of nowhere. Moegi had been supportive yet voiced her skeptical opinions every now and then. The age difference didn't concern her as much as the improbability of things turning out the way her teammate wanted it to did. Udon neither voiced an approving or disapproving opinion, and his words of comfort varied depending on the emotions Konohamaru presented.

So it was on this day, five months after Hinata's eighteenth birthday, that Moegi, Udon, and Hanabi had gathered to comfort the young Sarutobi through this (trivially) tough time.

"This is so stupid," Konohamaru muttered. "Stupid!"

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "You're just jealous. Rationalize it and you'll be fine."

He groaned louder.

"It's just one night, Konohamaru," Moegi said. "Normal tomorrow, remember?"

"Normal," the Sarutobi scoffed. "Like it'll ever really be normal." He yelled, shooting up and looking at them. "Wedding arrangements?!" He directed his anger at Hanabi. "Why does your clan even do stuff like that?!"

"Calm down," Hanabi said. "It's more or less a formality. Believe it or not, my clan's traditions have lessened by a lot. Instead of arranging her for a marriage at sixteen, she's being officially 'put on the market' at eighteen."

"You call that lessened?!"

Hanabi shrugged. "If you're this worried, you must think something will come of it."

"Hanabi..." Moegi nudged her.

Konohamaru grumbled, settling back on the ground. "Forget it, Moegi. She doesn't understand what this is really about."

Hanabi scowled.

"What is it really about?" Moegi asked. "When Hinata told you about it last year, you joked about it for a while. Now that it's actually happening, you're acting like she offended you or something."

"It's not _about_ her. Wait...no. It _is_ about her, but not _that_. No way she's comfortable meeting all these people and putting herself out there. It just seems stupid that her family is putting her through all this for appearance's sake."

"She agreed to this, you know," Hanabi reminded.

Konohamaru laughed, humorless. "Yeah. To please your father."

"My _father_ just wants the best for her."

"The best for your clan. And what about _you_, huh? Kiba is gonna be there, right? I'm not the only one who has something to lose tonight."

Hanabi grit her teeth, her posture straightening. "Don't drag me into your self-induced drama. You of all people should be glad she's seeing what else is out there besides Naruto. She's never actually _looked_ at anyone else. Now that she _has_ to, _you_ might have a better chance at her looking _your_ way, considering you haven't helped yourself on your own."

Konohamaru didn't say anything. He had to admit he was handling this poorly, but Hanabi rarely had words of encouragement that actually uplifted him. She said things to rile him up. He would either get so upset or so defiant that he'd force himself to change his situation just so the emotions would go away. However, her words now just worsened the mood he was already in, and he wished this day would end and tomorrow could continue as usual.

But maybe it really wouldn't.

Konohamaru held small hope that he was just similar enough to Naruto to get her looking at him but held enough differences that she actually became interested in him on her own, but tonight could prove to mess all that up. Maybe Hinata's eyes would be opened and she _would_ start looking at other guys. Maybe she'd want someone different. Maybe she'd want someone her age or older. Maybe this was the end of their time together.

Konohamaru groaned, rolling on his stomach and burying his face in his arms.

Moegi frowned at Hanabi. "Why do you always have to tear him down like that?"

Hanabi wasn't affected. "He needs to handle stuff like this better. He won't exactly run out of obstacles."

"Why don't we hang out at Hanabi's place tonight?"

All eyes turned to Udon, who was still focused on his magazine. He looked up when he felt eyes on him, and it almost made him fall back.

"I mean," he began, "it's big enough that we won't disturb what's going on, right?" He shrugged, sniffing. "Maybe we'll even get to see who all is there."

o0o0o

"We're only going because Hanabi's house is the biggest out of all of us!" Konohamaru declared as they walked down the streets.

"Then why are you walking so fast!" Moegi called.

Konohamaru hesitated, peeking behind him. Everyone else was a good few yards away.

He tried to appear casual with his arms behind his head, but he hadn't taken notice of the gap he had put between them. The evening sky was just an hour away, and the setting sun instilled a calm yet adventures hue. It was the kind of setting that made him excited for no reason, but he was currently feeling a bit on the queasy side.

Nervous.

Anxious.

Uncomfortably so.

When they arrived at the Hyuuga compound, Konohamaru started to have second thoughts. He was here for all the wrong reasons, and it was gnawing at him. He was essentially trying to spy on Hinata, even if his main goal was to scope out the competition, but he was already feeling outmatched by the guys he hadn't even seen yet. There would be nobody _his_ age there, and most of these people were training to be jonin, if they weren't already. The only thing he would accomplish by being here would be hurting his own feelings, and he didn't need more of that.

Walking through the Hyuuga home, Konohamaru was surprised he did not see any outsiders yet. They passed residences of the house, but there was no flow of people from outside the clan walking about. There wasn't even a line forming anywhere. A small part of him hoped no one would show. Maybe no one would come to this match-making farce, and Hinata would be free to do as she pleased without her family interfering.

Then again...

There had been invitations sent out. Hanabi had told them how the Hyuuga elders sent out notices to various prestigious people in other villages, so there should be _someone._ The invitations around Konoha were more of a public announcement stating Hinata would be willing to meet with any male of a high standing, so there definitely should be _somebody_ here. They wouldn't all be opposed to being paired with Hinata, would they?

That was absurd. Utterly impossible.

"So," Konohamaru said, a curious scowl on his face, "where the heck is everybody?"

"If Hinata is already prepared for tonight," Hanabi said, "then she should be in the Ceremonial Room with our father."

"Can we stop by to say hi?"

"No. Only suitors with their respective guardians or witnesses will be able to enter until the night is over. Hyuuga members who have no need to be with them are not allowed either."

Konohamaru rolled his eyes. "So where _are_ these 'suitors'?"

"Our father does not like non-family members in the house. We've arranged for them to wait in the courtyard until it's their turn."

Moegi made a sound of unease. "It's pretty warm out, Hanabi. Isn't it a bit rude to invite people who got all dressed up and then make them wait out in the heat?"

Hanabi smiled at her, amused. "After all this time I've spent around you guys, you still think my family is so calloused?"

They arrived at the courtyard doors; a great deal of talking could be heard. When the doors were slid open, they saw the space was full of people dressed in varying forms of formal attire. Paper lanterns hung on the walls, and bamboo torches were placed around the area. Tables and chairs were set out, decorated with simple white cloths and slim vases filled with lilac larkspurs. Further in, food stations were on the far left of the courtyard while Hyuuga Branch members carried around refreshments. A large canopy was overhead to block out the waning sunlight, making the overall temperature rather cool.

"Wow," Moegi breathed. "This is kind of nice."

Hanabi nodded to make a point.

Udon eyed the food stations.

Konohamaru couldn't stop staring at all the people.

The group walked around, occasionally launching questions at Hanabi about who a certain person was or what kind of decoration was sitting out. There were a lot of people not from Konoha, and many of the older patrons (assumed to be guardians or witnesses) were grouped near the sides and conversing among themselves.

After about ten minutes, Moegi spotted Kiba and Shino. They were talking to two other boys and one girl, and they were also in very formal, very nice clothing.

"Kiba, Shino," Konohamaru greeted, albeit cautious. "Hey..."

"Hey," Kiba said, eyes lighting up. His opinion of the Sarutobi had improved over the years. "Was hoping I'd see you guys tonight."

"Hello," Shino said, looking a tad uncomfortable in his kimono.

Kiba gestured to their guests. "This is Tama, Ginjo, and Miki. They're from Suna."

The kids introduced themselves.

Konohamaru turned his attention back to Kiba and Shino. "So, you guys actually came to this thing."

Kiba laughed. "My mom and sister came along to enjoy the free food." He gestured between him and Shino. "We're more like moral support."

"Hinata has had great anxieties about tonight," Shino said. "It would be cruel not to come."

"So you're not taking this seriously?" Moegi asked.

Kiba snorted. "Like a real marriage deal? If that was gonna happen, then there wouldn't be this whole thing going on."

"That's a relief," one of the Suna guys said. "The less competition the better."

"Don't worry about it, man," Kiba said to him. "Hinata's making the choices around here, and, trust me, she's not looking at a lot of these people."

Konohamaru coughed. "We're gonna walk around some more. Enjoy your," he gestured around them, "this."

Kiba called goodbyes after them as they left. Konohamaru's outlook was beginning to brighten after that comment. Maybe any familiar face here was not planning to pursue a future with Hinata. Maybe they came simply because it was a Hyuuga celebration, which did not happen often, or to give the heiress a moment's reprieve.

The group ran into Shikamaru and Choji on separate occasions, and both were here on family orders—nothing else. Sai was also here, but he informed them that some ninja were acting as casual security in case anything happened. There were other familiar faces they recognized from other villages, and some admitted to securing a marriage proposal for the sake of merging clans and inevitably villages, but Konohamaru felt little threat from people such as these. Hinata would see through them immediately, and if her father was intent on persuading her to think the same as the others, then no one here would greatly impress Hiashi either.

However, there were some admirers in the mix. Some hailed from villages Konohamaru had never heard of, and others were ordinary villagers lacking ninja abilities. There was one man whose family had made exceptional ninja weapons for generations who admitted to developing a crush on Hinata a few years back when her team saved him from being kidnapped. Another was a young man a few years older than the heiress whose family's ninja bloodline had dwindled quite a bit due to an increase in civilian marriages, and he had supposedly fallen for Hinata the moment he saw her picture, which was conveniently around the same time the invitations were sent out. And the bulk of many others were heads of restaurant chains or ninja specific lodgings that hoped the Hyuugas would see them as useful and heal the hearts of their love-stricken children.

"So, what do you think?" Moegi asked Konohamaru as the group lingered around a free table. "The turnout here is a bit intimidating."

Konohamaru shrugged, looking around the courtyard with a new eye. "Sure, it's a lot of people...but none of them really feel Hyuuga impressive—Hinata or otherwise."

"But some of them lead impressive lives," Udon said.

"Yeah," Konohamaru agreed, "but... I dunno. The ones who like her lack any real defining traits, and the ones wanting to use her name lack...covering up that fact." He shifted his gaze. "What do you think, Hanabi? You think your dad will approve of anybody here?"

Hanabi looked at him for a contemplative moment before sighing. "I don't think so, but who knows how father is feeling tonight."

Konohamaru nodded once, smirking at all the company here. "Yeah. I don't think there's much to worry about."

o0o0o

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen."

All eyes turned to the Hyuuga members standing in the doorway of the courtyard. A man and a woman dressed in formal kimonos and holding one clipboard each smiled graciously at everyone.

"We believe all our guests are here for the evening," the woman said, "so we will now begin calling each suitor one at a time to meet with Lord Hiashi and Lady Hinata."

"Lord Hiashi reserves the right to hold each meeting as short or long as he wishes, and we hope you will fully comply," the man said. "When your name is called, please bring no more than two people with you."

"We will now begin in no particular order..."

Konohamaru sighed after the first name was called, neither relieved nor stressed. The courtyard continued with conversation shortly after.

Konohamaru looked at his group. "You guys want to stay longer or can we go?"

"Let's go," Hanabi said, walking to the door with the group following behind. "This could take a while, and we can always come back later."

Konohamaru snickered to himself. "Feel better knowing Kiba isn't serious about this?"

Hanabi ignored him.

They reached the door right as it slid open. Konohamaru's head nearly split upon seeing the different sets of eyes staring at them. Iruka had been the one to open the door, and standing next to him was one Naruto Uzumaki. Looking farther behind them, Kakashi, Sasuke Uchiha, and the Sand siblings were also in attendance. Each and every one of them was dressed in formal kimonos.

"Hey, Konohamaru!" Naruto greeted, blue eyes shining.

"Uh... H-hey..." Konohamaru shook his head, staring at Naruto as though the blond was disappearing every few seconds. "What are... You're actually..." He looked around. "You actually came to this?"

"Yeah, Kiba said it'd be good if Hinata saw some friendly faces. Besides," he jabbed a thumb at Iruka, "this guy here said I needed to see something."

"Er..." Konohamaru's gaze shifted to Sasuke and Gaara. "And...they're here..."

Kakashi roughly patted Sasuke on the back, who looked highly on the verge of killing someone. "This'll be good for him."

"And it's not every day Gaara gets invited to possibly marry an heiress," Temari said.

Kankaru wrapped an arm around each sibling. "And who knows what kinda love connection may happen tonight."

"It's just a formality," Gaara said. "It would have been rude to not come."

"Awww!" Temari gushed. "Look at how much he's matured!"

The new arrivals joined the other guests, leaving Konohamaru and his group silently walking to the other side of the door. When it closed, eyes were immediately drawn to Konohamaru. He said nothing for a long while, face blank, occasionally blinking as though he had a massive realization.

"Konohamaru?" Moegi finally said. "You're still not worried, right?"

"I'm fine." But his voice was a little off.

"Would it be better if we go back to my place?"

"No... No... We can, um... We should...stay here."

"Are you sure?"

He looked at her, smiling. "Yeah. I want to stay."

The group didn't make anymore of it and ventured off to find something to do. However, Konohamaru's smile didn't reach his eyes, and that bothered them.

o0o0o

Hours passed and it was well in to the night when Hanabi had finally fallen asleep. Moegi and Udon had gone home shortly before midnight, and it was now barely three in the morning.

Konohamaru had not been able to concentrate much on most of the activities he and his friends had agreed to do, and even Hanabi's attempts at distracting him were all for naught. It was not Naruto's presence that rattled him so much, but it was the combination of Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara that made the young Sarutobi feel...lost. He still was not quite sure what it was exactly about the sight of those three that made him sullen, but he couldn't think about much else.

It was stupid.

He shouldn't get bent out of shape if he couldn't even place why.

Konohamaru put Hanabi to bed before leaving. The compound was rather silent as he walked through, which caused an odd fear to creep up on him. He felt as though he shouldn't be here, and it _was_ late for him to be walking around the place alone. He picked up the pace, keeping as quiet as possible, and only stopped when he came to the courtyard doors.

He heard no more talking, which led his curiosity to get the better of him. He opened the doors to find no one else here. Few torches and candles were still lit, and the shine from the moon and stars were filtering through the canopy. He was impressed by how the guests had all had their turns so soon. He was sure there would still be a handful of people even now.

He walked into the courtyard, looking around. He let his mind clear as emotions flowed through him, and he decided to let them pass before he made the walk home.

"Oh. Have you not gone yet?"

Konohamaru's heart nearly burst at being spotted, and he quickly turned around. "Sorry, no, I'm not-"

Hinata stood in the doorway, hair down, wearing a pale kimono, looking as shocked as he was. "Konohamaru." She smiled, walking towards him. "I didn't know you were here."

He met her halfway. "Yeah. Moegi and Udon were here earlier, too. I was just heading home." And for a moment Hinata looked extremely beautiful standing in front of him. Her hair was tousled as though she had just taken it out of a previous style, and her lashes appeared longer than he remembered. He suspected she had rubbed her lipstick off because her lips looked rather red and swollen. But more than that, there was obvious exhaustion in her eyes that held a bit of joy at seeing him.

But maybe he was imagining that last part.

"Um," he knew he was staring, "how was tonight? Any fun?"

Hinata laughed, turning her head to yawn. "Some friends were here, so that was fun. There were some...interesting people, though." Her eyebrows creased before she smiled at him again. "I'll have to tell you more about that in the morning, though. It's been a long day for me."

"That's fine, that's fine. I'll see myself out."

She looked at him quizzically. "Are you sure? You can use a guest room since it's pretty late."

"No, it's fine." He wasn't sure why he didn't just agree. "A walk might help me fall asleep anyway."

Hinata nodded, her drowsy eyes struggling to stay open. She held on to his arm. "I'll see you out then."

Konohamaru swallowed hard. "You don't have to. You should go to bed."

She shook her head, urging him to walk. "It's fine. Besides, I didn't think I'd see you today."

Konohamaru didn't protest anymore, but he hoped she was too tired to take notice of his pounding heart.

o0o0o

They said their goodbyes when Hinata had escorted him to the front of the compound. He really wanted to know what she thought about tonight—about the people who showed up and about the arrangements all together—but he forced himself to wait until the next time he saw her. His main concern had been in wondering if she would get to bed okay.

Walking home, Konohamaru no longer wondered about the things that had been bothering him. Instead, a smile was on his face, an occasional laugh slipping through. He shouldn't think too much of it because the heiress was obviously tired when she first saw him tonight...

...but she thought he was a suitor for just a moment.


End file.
